Dario Benedetto
Dario Benedetto of Mexico's America celebrates after scoring against Costa Rica's Herediano during their CONCACAF Champions League soccer match at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City April 8, 2015. REUTERS/Henry Romero

Heading into their second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final on Wednesday, Liga MX titleholders, Club America, faced a daunting task. Down three goals on aggregate after a 3-0 defeat to Costa Rica’s Herediano in leg one, America knew they needed an offensive onslaught to have any chance of advancing to the CCL final. Thankfully, Dario Benedetto had them covered.

Benedetto scored an astonishing four times in the match and America defeated Herediano 6-0 in leg two at the famed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Herediano was confident they would be able to play back and not concede the three goals needed for America to advance. However, a first half red card to Edder Nelson had them down a man and the momentum all with the Mexican side.

Benedetto did everything for America in the match. Mexico’s man of the hour opened up his scoring in the eighth minute with a beautiful bender that curled into the top right corner of the net.

Before 20 minutes in regulation had been completed, America had equalized on aggregate with their third goal of the game. Once again, it was Benedetto who beautifully curled a screamer from outside the box that just slid inside the right post and passed a diving Daniel Cambronero.

Six minutes later, the Argentine striker had a hat trick when he slotted a shot from the left side of the box and into the bottom right corner of the net. Nelson was ejected less than two minutes later, and by the half-hour mark in the match it was 5-0 America and Benedetto had scored the quad.

Despite playing with a man advantage for the entire second half, America let their foot off the gas and cruised to the 6-0 victory and advanced to the CCL Finals in two weeks against the MLS’s Montreal Impact.

The Liga MX squad should have no problem returning the CCL title to Mexican soil for the 10th consecutive year. Not only is Club America by far the more talented team, Montreal is an MLS minnow as they currently find themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings in 9th place.

© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.